At one time or another every miserable commuter stuck behind the wheel of their boring silver family sedan thinks about how wonderful it would be to break free from responsibility and drive a really cool sports car. Preferably in “arrest me” red or possibly “I’m really dark and dangerous” black. But then your better half calls in on the cell phone to tell you what the kids did to their teacher at school that day and the daydream is broken. Someday you tell yourself, someday.
Well, today could be your day as there is a positively huge array of affordable and sometimes even semi-practical sports cars out there that can fill that ever widening hole in your soul. Now is a better time than ever to get a new sports car because in ten years vehicles with this level of performance and handling might very well be illegal. That is a sad possibility but a very real one what with Government emissions, safety and fuel economy regulations looming. Hello Nanny State. Goodbye personal automotive freedoms.
In today’s world the concept of “affordable” truly does vary from individual to individual. But while most people can’t afford a Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari 599 GTB or Lamborghini Murcielago, the biggest problem with buying these sports cars is getting the companies to sell you a new one. See, a lot of times you have to be a “name” to get on the buyers list. And that’s just no fun. So all the cars on this list are at the very least easily purchased from a local dealer.
Just think of these sports cars as having been built for people who want to get out on challenging, windy back roads and actually drive them. These are not “collector’s items” that will sit in some business mogul’s climate controlled garage not to be seen or heard from until some classic car show 30 years from now. These are sports cars of the people, by the people and for the people.
2010 Nissan 370Z: (Starting at $29,990)
The Z coupe was totally re-styled for 2009 and was given a new look that can only be described as muscular and menacing. And isn’t that what a traditional sports coupe should be all about? Scaring the pants off of other drivers in their crossovers? Okay, maybe it’s about the driving experience too but thankfully the Z has always delivered on that front.
Powered by a meaty 3.7 liter V6 with 333 horsepower, the Z car is available with a seven speed automatic (why?) or a six speed manual with a system called Syncro-Rev Match. Essentially what Syncro-Rev Match does is it imitates the trick known as “heel and toe shifting” which makes it seem like every gear change has been done with positively fluid accuracy. So even if you are a bumbling idiot with a stick shift a 370Z will make your passenger will think you drive like a racing star. And isn’t that really the point?
2010 Mazda Miata: (Starting at $23,560)
Although it may not be overburdened with power, the recipe for every generation of Miata since its 1989 introduction hasn’t changed much because of one thing. It simply works. Take one of the best manual transmissions, mix in perfect weight balance with surgically precise steering and agile handling and you have all the sports car fun you could ever need. And thankfully as this recipe has been kept simple (although you can now get a rather more complicated folding hardtop version) the Miata is still very inexpensive. The best part about the Miata is that no matter how much or how little you spend on options this will have no effect on how much fun you have behind the wheel.
2010 VW GTI: (Starting at $23,664)
It may not be a traditionalist’s concept of a sports car but from behind the wheel I dare anyone to deny that this is one of the most fun to drive vehicles on the market today. The ride is sporty yet compliant, the engine is never caught off boost with its turbo and even the DSG automatic version is fun to drive thanks to lightning quick shifts. There is also a sweet shifting six-speed manual and for the family man the GTI also can be ordered with four doors. This is a great sports car compromise that could fit most any lifestyle.
2010 Ford Mustang GT: (Starting at $28,395)
Although Ford will be releasing a larger 5.0 liter V8 version of its iconic pony car there are still many reasons to love the 2010 version. Thanks to a very successful restyle the exterior looks less overtly retro and the interior quality is now so excellent that it would be a completely foreign environment for Chevy Camaro owners. Options include Ford’s excellent Sync audio, navigation and a plethora of new and very stylish colors of leather for the solidly assembled interior.
The current 4.6 liter V8 does still pump out 315 horsepower on regular unleaded gasoline and the manual transmission is so easy to use that this sports car is nearly impossible to stall. This is a great first sports car buy as you can have fun in it (it’s easy to get the rear end to break loose and lose traction) yet getting it back under control is easy because its handling is very predictable. Do you think people would have been buying them all these years if they were difficult or dangerous to drive?
2010 Porsche 911: (Starting at $112,200)
This is without question all the sports car anyone could ever need. Its lines still look exotic today even after decades have passed since its introduction. The flat six located behind you howls like a banshee when you rev it and the steering is so precise that it borders on the telepathic. Modern Porsche 911 models now also feature manual transmissions that are so smooth require so little effort that they could easily have come out of a Honda. The 911 is the perfect everyday sports car as it is comfortable and very simple to drive no matter if it is on the freeway or that favorite patch of twisting road near your house.
Last year Porsche introduced its PDK Double-Clutch automatic gearbox and while that transmission is far more impressive than the previous (and positively blasphemous) Tiptronic automatic, I fear a part of the true Porsche 911 experience would be lost on an owner if they didn’t order the manual transmission. Call me a traditionalist but owning a 911 is to become part of a cultural sports car legacy that must be protected.
I come from a family that has owned a number of 911 models and while I can handle the concept of an automatic in the Porsche Cayenne I would personally make fun of someone who bought a 911 with an automatic (probably behind their back). Almost as much as I would make fun of that same person if they called their new sports car a “Por-shh” instead of a Porsche (Por-sha).
